The present invention relates to a disposable cap and float assembly for a drainage receiver for receiving drainage from the body of a patient after the wounding of or surgery performed on the patient or for other liquid withdrawal purposes. In the past, various designs for drainage receivers have been proposed. Previously known are drainage receivers in the form of disposable flexible plastic liners positioned in a canister as shown, for example, in U.S. Letters Pat. No. 3,685,517. Being flexible, such liners are subject to collapse unless held against the canister by vacuum, necessitating a separate vacuum port. If care in assembly of the liner in the canister is not exercised, the liner itself may plug the vacuum port causing the liner to collapse. Such plastic liners also are subject to vacuum or drainage leaks if the liner is snagged or if it is inadequately sealed during manufacture. Therefore, the use of rigid receivers often is more desirable.
Rigid receivers are readily sterilized for reuse, but the cap assemblies of these receivers, due to their configurations, are more difficult to sterilize for reuse than the receiving containers. Where steam sterilization is utilized, the parts must be made of a material which will not be adversely affected by the steam temperature, or sterilization must be accomplished by a low temperature chemical sterilization method which not only is expensive but can pose physical dangers to personnel. Therefore, it is desirable that the cap and float assembly of the rigid drainage receiver be disposable. This invention is directed to providing a new and improved disposable cap and float assembly for use in drainage receivers, or the like, particularly in the medical field.